George Maxwell Richards (1 December 1931 – 8 January 2018) was a Trinidadian politician who served as the fourth president of Trinidad and Tobago, from 2003 to 2013. He was the first president and head of state in the Caribbean to have mixed Chinese and Indigenous ancestry.
A chemical engineer by training, Richards was Principal of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad from 1984 to 1996. He previously worked for Shell Trinidad Ltd before joining the University of the West Indies in 1965. He was sworn into office as president on 17 March 2003 for a five-year term.
Early life and education
Richards was born at his family's home in San Fernando in South Trinidad in 1931 as one of five children in the family. His father, George Richards, was a barrister while his mother, Henrietta Martin was a housewife and teacher. From May 1950 to September 1951, he worked for the United British Oilfields of Trinidad (precursor to Shell Trinidad Ltd.) at Point Fortin. He was the first President of the Republic who was not an attorney.
In May 2009, Richards faced calls to resign for bungling the appointment of the Trinidad and Tobago Integrity Commission, whose members all resigned for various reasons within a week of being sworn in on 1 May 2009, even as Richards embarked on a three-week foreign vacation. He remained in office until 2013.
Richards died at WestShore Medical Private Hospital in Port of Spain at around 7:43 pm, on 8 January 2018 of heart failure at the age of 86.
His ashes were scattered over the seas of the Gulf of Paria on the night of January 19, 2018 and the Richards family said their final farewell to their husband, father, brother, and uncle as well as the nation's fourth president.
Honors
In 1977, Richards received the Chaconia Medal of the National Order of the Trinity, Class 1 Gold (the Chaconia Medal, Gold) for his contributions to Trinidad and Tobago.